My Journey to College Lacrosse - Andrew Bromley (BMS '08)top
Playing college lacrosse is an aspiration for many young student-athletes. Playing college lacrosse allows an athlete to further his playing and educational careers, while continuing to open additional doors of opportunity for their future.
To play lacrosse at the college level, an athlete must display the ability to succeed on the field, in the classroom and show a coach that he will contribute in a positive way to the environment and culture within a college team.
As they prepared for the 2011 season, BMS Insider checked-in with former Burnaby Mountain Selects players to reflect back on their journey and talk about some of the experiences that they went through to fulfill their dream of playing lacrosse at the collegiate level...
Name: Andrew Bromley (BMS '08)
Hometown: Surrey, BC
High School: Earl Marriott Secondary
College: Providence College
Location: Providence, Rhode Island
League: NCAA Div. I
Class: Junior
Position: Midfield
Major: Finance / Economics
How did you decide where to go to school?
I looked over all my options, and decided which school had the best combination of prestige in both academics and lacrosse. Providence College is ranked in the top of the nation in both of these categories so the decision was easy for me!
What has the transition been like from High School to University?
The transition for me was very easy. I approached the transition with an open mind and above all else, work ethic. The biggest thing I could stress to incoming players is taking control of your life, your time, and your choices; accordingly success will follow you anywhere.
What do you like about your school academically?
The liberal arts background. At first I was sceptical about Providence College because it stressed the foundations of the Liberal Arts, however now that I have made it through those classes I am so grateful for this. Liberal Arts develops a skill set that will be a tool for success in anything you do in life. Continually, I like the culture, PC is a small to medium size school and the environment and people around you is second to none, the list is really endless.
What do you like about playing lacrosse at your school?
I have never played on a team that stresses commitment, accountability, and ownership so highly. Every player has their role as an individual and is so involved in the team, it really is a culture in itself that I will miss a lot once my four years here are over.
What’s in your lacrosse bag?
Nike and STX! My pads, always three freshly strung twigs, too many shoes ( I need to sort those out!), soft gear galore, playbook, student athlete manual, pen and paper, toiletries, family picture, above all else the friar head emblem on my helmet.
What valuable lessons did you learn from the recruiting process?
If I could do the recruiting process again everything would be so much easier for me, and my parents! Biggest advice I could give is, get out there, do not be afraid to ask endless questions, and really take ownership over the whole process, and you will be satisfied.
What role did your family have in helping you get to where you are now?
The only reason I am where I am really. From immediate family, my mom making the paper work happen (important), my dad for pushing me, my little brothers (trying to show them the way), and the endless support from extended family from my irreplaceable grandmother to my aunts and uncles who would always pump my tires up a bit when I was feeling stressed or down.
Favourite on-field memory from being part of the Burnaby Mountain Selects program?
Scoring the tying goal with minutes left in the Seattle Space Needle Shootout tournament to push the game into overtime, and winning gold on one of the first possessions in the overtime frame.
Favourite off-field memory from your travels with the Burnaby Mountain Selects?
Travelling and hanging out with the boys in airports, hotels, and busses and also, getting to be around all my friends during the weekend practices up at SFU.
What is the best piece of advice that you have ever received?
Man that’s a really tough question, I have been a part of many, many big speeches with meanings too long for this piece. I am going to have to say a piece of advice from Gord Lawton, “Its going to be the hardest thing you’ve ever done kid, go to the net like no ones going to stop you, play within the team, but don’t lose your individuality” or a line said by many of the great enforcers of the previous NHL era’s, “Be for the boys, there all you’ve got in here, no one ever questioned the integrity of a guy who would drop ‘em for a team mate”
What coaching tips have had the biggest impact on your game?
Again, like the previous, this is a very hard question although I have a few in mind:
My lifting coach has many great lines, including, “Nobody every drowned in sweat” and “Players don’t become champions on game day”. Although slightly cliché, the meanings are more important than they seem.
My head coach here at Providence, has stressed the perfection of my fundamentals to a point where I took one step back and five steps forward, it really changed my game for the better. Fundamentals is a portion of the game that really has an endless possibility to improve your game.
What advice would you give younger BMS players aspiring to play at the collegiate level?
Want it. Live it. This coming time of college will go by so much faster than you think, get everything you can out of it. With the skill levels of some of the younger generations today, I see the game evolving to a level never seen before. If you want to win and if you will to succeed there really is no end for your game on the field, or in the classroom. Be unreasonable with yourself and your abilities, push the limit, be honest with yourself and don’t cut corners. If you want it bad enough, you can endure dry spells and things of that nature, and do great things on the field, in the classroom, and beyond a college campus.